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Wild Animals Have New Land To Call Home In Colorado

By Matt Kroschel

WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - On a windy day, about 30 minutes from downtown Denver, hundreds of big cats, bears and other carnivores hunker down in their sprawling 789 acres at The Wild Animal Sanctuary.

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For 38 years, the nonprofit has provided homes for mistreated animals from across the world. But at this point, they are out of space to house any more animals.

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The sanctuary just closed a deal on new land near Springfield, Colorado.

The 9,004 acres of forested land offers hills, buttes, bluffs, valleys and grasslands for current and future rescues.

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This facility is not currently open to the public as its remoteness make it nearly impossible for public access.

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The need for more land became apparent in 2017 when the site near Keenesburg became landlocked and was unable to continue expanding.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

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